How It’s Made: Concrete

Rose Paving / September 11, 2013

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At Rose Paving Company, we work with concrete every day.  But have you ever wondered how it’s made? The mixture of modern concrete contains aggregate material including sand and water. This aggregate material is usually a number of different sizes depending on the location and future use of the concrete. The aggregate material uses stone, but can also use recycled material such as oyster shell or waste material from coal-fired power generating plants. Cement, which is the main component of modern concrete, is primarily made up of limestone, clay, gypsum, chemical additives, and gravel. The sand used in concrete is course sand made from ground glass.

Concrete consists of two essential parts, the filler and the binding. The filler is either a fine or coarse mixture such as sand, while the binding is the cement and water. The binder creates a type of glue that holds the filler together. Very similar to that of asphalt, cement is like baking a cake; the correct amounts of water and sand must be added to achieve the perfect mix. This mixture is usually comprised of one part cement, two parts sand and three parts stone with enough water to form a paste.

Essentially, there are two types of concrete: ready-mix and made-to-order. The ready-mix type of concrete is what you find in the bags at home appliance stores. These bags only require water and mixing to form concrete and are usually used for small home projects. The made-to-order type is what is used for larger construction jobs and requires either on-site mixing or plant-mixing. In theory, making cement is simple, but must be mixed and handled carefully.

Please contact us if you have any concrete questions or needs at this time!

Sources: www.ehow.com